There may be no more iconic figure in Central Park than the Bethesda Fountain—built to mark the opening of the Croton Aqueduct—within the Bethesda Terrace at the north end of the Mall. Angel of the Waters, the statue that adorns the fountain (in the Gospel of John, Bethesda was a pool where the sick of Jerusalem were healed), was modeled on sculptor Emma Stebbins’ partner, the actress Charlotte Cushman, and one of the first public works commissioned to a woman artist in any American city.

Walk between 82nd and 86th streets along Central Park West to visit the former grounds of Seneca Village, a unique African American community, which, in 1857, had 250 residents, 52 houses and 3 churches. It also was the site of Summit Rock—the park’s highest point—and Tanner Spring, both of which can still be visited. The park wasn’t always a park; until the mid-19th century, the area was a medley of suburban estates, asylums and the homes of poorer families.

In the fall of 2018, New Yorkers were delighted by the sighting of a rare Mandarin Duck in the Pond at Central Park, almost immediately nicknamed the Hot Duck. Central Park is home to all kinds of surprising wildlife, above and beyond the surface. Scientists have noted seven species of turtles, Wilson’s warbler (and more than 20 other bird species, including screech owls and hawks), pumpkinseed sunfish, raccoons and the occasional coyote, who cause a stir but rarely stick around.

There’s nothing but nature (and some baseball diamonds, playgrounds, restaurants and probably a bunch of Lime Scooters) in the park, but there are two extraordinary walled gardens that people rarely visit. In the Conservatory Garden, through a gate constructed for the Vanderbilt mansion of the 1800s, you’ll find a floral oasis of bulbs, annuals, flowering trees and water plants that are as calming to the mind as they are enlivening to the senses. Enter here and effectively leave New York.

At the Hallett Nature Sanctuary, where not not-so-little piggies used to roam 150 years ago, there’s a newly restored (the former bird sanctuary was, at a time, overrun with feral cats) haven within a haven, declaring itself the strong and silent type, with wood-lined pathways, a brilliance of flowers, and views overlooking the pond that can be enjoyed, undisturbed, as the city passes by unnoticed.

While the Ramble might have notoriety as a gay cruising spot, it’s for the Johnny-come-latelies. At the turn of the century, Central Park was well known in gay culture as a place to both socialize and look for hookups. Classic spots included the benches along the entrance at 59th St. and 5th Avenue to the Mall. Nearby, Wisteria Arbor, east of the Mall near 70th Street, was a place for women in uncomfortable dresses to socialize; the secluded areas were popular spots for young people to tryst.

There are 23 entrances to Central Park, but only one, the Artist’s Gate, saw Martin Luther King Jr., on April 15, 1967, marching arm-and-arm with anti-war and civil rights protesters on his way to speak near the U.N. The park has seen countless political and social movements convene there. The city’s very first Gay Pride March (though at the time it was not called that) ended in the park’s Sheep’s Meadow on June 28, 1970, to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.

There was a time, in the area now occupied by the Met, where deer grazed—it was an early incarnation of the Central Park Zoo. Important people like Abraham Lincoln contributed money to build the zoo, but it came together with piecemeal donations in the 1860s, including two African Cape buffalo General Sherman picked up on his march through the South. The animals were stored under the Arsenal, a munitions depot built in the mid-18th century, until permanent lodging was built in 1870.

Built in 1863 as a “ladies' refreshment saloon,” the Casino at Central Park reopened in 1929 as a private restaurant and social spot that dared to charge $2 for lunch and $4 for dinner—unreachable for the common New Yorker and contrary to the park’s democratic goals. Robert Moses, the parks commissioner at the time, told them to lower prices or he’d take them to court and terminate their lease, which he did. He demolished the Casino and built Rumsey Playfield, now the site of SummerStage.

One of the very first controversies confronted by the park’s board was whether to allow everyday New Yorkers to have concerts on weekends (they did). Thanks to that decision, Central Park has been a haven for people of all stripes to congregate with music throughout its history. Every summer Saturday, beneath the Shakespeare statue (at the South end of the Mall), there is a Tango salon. There’s no cost. There’s no age limit. For those who like tango, come and dance.

A gift from William H. Vanderbilt, the 3,000-year-old, 69-feet-high Obelisk was commissioned to commemorate an Egyptian pharaoh; the Romans moved it to Alexandria 1500 years later. In 1958, film director and producer Cecil B. Demille had the hieroglyphics translated onto plaques at the obelisk’s base (they were shameless messages of amour-propre for the pharaohs). Underneath it is a time capsule with a mystery box, and no one, not even the park’s administrators, knows what’s inside.